Devotional Song: Go to this link – Please take your time to see a video of a powerful old Irish hymn, performed by the group Selah, … Be Thou My Vision, which reminds us Christians to let God’s mind and HIS heart lead us through the battles of life … day-by-day.
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Highlight Passage - NLT: 1st Kings 22: 19-20 …
19 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, ‘Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’
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Highlight Passage: 1st Kings, Chapter 22, Verses 10-28… GO TO THIS LINK … [NLT]
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5-6 … … [NKJV]
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on our own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him; and He will direct your paths.
Reference Passage #2: Luke 9: 23 … … [NLT]
23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. …”
Reference Passage #3: Romans 8: 28 … … [NKJV]
28 All things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purposes.
Reference Passage #4: Mark 12: 30 … … [NLT] 30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ [Jesus quoting Deut.6:4-5]
My Journal for Today: I worked in healthcare management and I can recall many, many strategic planning sessions like the one depicted in the attached photo where we so-called “managers” were trying to project the future … sometimes short-range, but often trying to see things 3-5 years ahead.
What if one could sit in on a strategic planning session in the heavenlies with God and the angels were setting their plans for mankind in accord with God’s plans? Well, that’s exactly what two tribal kings, Jehoshaphat and Ahab were trying to do in the highlight section of today’s text. And the kings called on a Prophet of God to seek God’s will in trying to go to battle with the Arameans of their day. And in 1st Kings, Chapter 22, linked above, we read of how the Prophet Micaiah was given vision into heaven’s plans for God’s people; and the Prophet said the would fall if they did battle at that time, a prophesy which went against almost 400 other of the kings’ prophets.
Today the song to which I’ve linked any readers is the lilting old Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision, which cries out for us, as followers of Christ to internalize, activate, and apply three of the Bible passages I end up quoting most often from my memory bank of Scripture. They are the wise words of God, thru Solomon, in Prov. 3: 5-6 to trust God’s ways and not our own; … then there’s the words of Jesus, Himself, to His disciples, in Luke 9: 23, for us to be willing to deny our selves in following Him; … and that most difficult exhortation from Paul in Romans 8: 28 for Christians to realize that we often must encounter and overcome the challenges of our lives to be able to become effective followers of Christ.
Just listen to the song linked for you; and then meditate on the Scriptures for today; and in doing so realize that our planning is fine … as long as it seeks to find God’s will, follow His ways, and glorify Him in all that we think, say, and do [see Mark 12: 30, which is Jesus quoting Deut. 6: 4-5]. That’s my goal today and tomorrow … how about you?
My Prayer for Today … Lord, let my planning reflect Your will … ALWAYS! . … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online blog entitled Today God Is First [TGIF], authored by Os Hillman. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read Hillman’s TGIF blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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